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First Look Review
135
German Uniform Insignia
German Army & Luftwaffe Uniform Insignia & Devices
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by: Patrick Selitrenny [ JLPICARD ]

introduction

The German Military during World War Two was highly organized, so it is not a big surprise to know that even their Uniforms had very specific markings by service branch: the [/i]Heer[/i] (usually misidentified as the Wehrmacht, which actually refers to the entire armed forces); the Luftwaffe (Air Force, which also included the Fallschirmjäger or paratroops); The Kriegsmarine (Navy) and finally, the so-called “elite troops”: the Waffen-SS. All three regular services were provided with two types of shoulder boards: one sewn onto the uniform itself, the other a slip-on type. The latter was discontinued after 1942. But all three had one common feature: color piping. This means that each branch of service could be easily identified by their particular color code, with a dozen different ones within the army alone:.

1.) White for infantry
2.) Yellow for signal/communications units and cavalry;
3.) Red for artillery or AA (or FlaK);
4.) Pink for Panzertruppen (armored units)
5.) Moss green for Panzergrenadiere (mechanized infantry)
6.) Yellow green for mountain troops and Jäger (lit. “hunters”), a light infantry
7.) Dark green for Polizei Einsatztruppen (special police units infamous as the extermination squads operating the mobile gas vans in the Soviet Union)
8.) Brown for armored reconnaissance
9.) Orange for Feldpolizei (military police) and mechanized cavalry
10.) Interlaced black & white for Pioniere (engineers);
11.) Bright blue for transport units
12.) Dull blue for medical troops

In addition, there were variations for Administrative Staff and Special Services, like railroad workers, firemen, administrators, etc.

The Luftwaffe had a somewhat similar organization by color, but with some changes specific to their needs:

1.) White was the color of choice of the elite Hermann Göring Division (since Göring himself favored White)
2.) Yellow was shared by both Pilots & flying crews, and paratroopers
3.) Red (as with the army) was strictly reserved to Artillery Battalions or FlaK Batteries.
4.) Green in the late phases of the War started to become popular with a grounded Luftwaffe (called the Felddivisionen or Field Divisions, infantry troops fighting under the command of the Luftwaffe).

I addition to shoulder boards, army troops had Kragen-Litzen or collar braid: two parallel fabric bars applied on each side of the collar. Officers wore them, too, but theirs were usually bigger, made with finer fabric, and embroidered with silver. Generals wore Lahren, similar to their British counterpart, and are embroidered in gold on a bright red backing.

Luftwaffe personnel, armored troops (except assault guns after 1941) and Waffen-SS all shared a common trait: they all wore collar tabs instead of the Litzen (“braid”) of other groups. The tabs were simply rounded squares with each service adding its own touch: for example, a metallic skull & crossbones for tankers. This emblem grew out of Frederick the Great’s Imperial Dragoons, and should not be confused with the “deaths head” emblem of the SS. Panzer collar tabs were piped in pink (red for anti-tank units), with some quite esoteric variations. Yellow lining, for example, meaning a Panzer reconnaissance battalion, or black & white interlacing a cadet school or a mechanized pioneer battalion.

For the Luftwaffe, the more wings on the tabs, the higher the rank of the wearer, with those for officers surrounded by special wreaths. The regular Waffen-SS wore plain black with the infamous “SS” runes (traditional German lettering) on the left side of the collar, and “pips” for the various ranks on the right for NCOs and officers. High-ranking SS officers had embroidered oak leaves instead of pips (the more leaves, the higher the rank).

The shoulder boards of the early Army and Luftwaffe enlisted men and NCOs were usually a slip-on variety in the color of the early uniforms (Feldgrau I, a form of dark gray/green) or plain black. After 1943, shortages resulted in a sewn-on variation that could either be Feldgrau II or Feldgrau 44 (which was actually more brownish/khaki). Waffen-SS boards were almost always black, though there were variations, especially due to wartime shortages; even the elite had to relinquish style to practicality.

Despite the importance of accurate uniform markings, there have been gaps in the decals and dry transfers available to modelers. Alliance Model Works (distributed by Verlinden) has two sets of decals that are excellent for German army personnel (misleadingly labeled “Wehrmacht”) and Luftwaffe/paratrooper (aka Fallschirmjäger) personnel. The sets help fill some of the gaps that Peddinghaus, Archer, Verlinden, Lion Roar and even more recently, Tamiya itself have left open.

the sets

The two sets are:

LW35035: Wehrmacht Uniform Insignia & Devices
LW35036: Luftwaffe Uniform Insignia & Devices

the review

The Luftwaffe sheet finally includes some accurate Luftwaffe Felddivision markings and excellent Hermann Goering Division ones. A Felddivision (“field division”) was a branch of the Luftwaffe tasked with infantry missions. After the Luftwaffe lost its air supremacy over Europe in mid-1944, their wings were clipped and many of its personnel were nailed to the ground. The High Command of the Wehrmacht concluded that Luftwaffe personnel not needed in their original functions should not stand idle and watch, considering there was a compelling need for additional ground forces. Thus the Luftwaffe had its own infantry (and as in the case of Italy, its own Panzer division).

The set includes a detailed information sheet for easy application and identification of each marking. There are enough markings for about a hundred figures or more, especially if you intend on painting some figures in camouflage uniforms, which required fewer markings. It does not cover all branches of the Luftwaffe, but at least the more well-known and publicized ones. The set is complete with shoulder boards and collar tabs with yellow piping (for Luftwaffe flyers and paratroopers), red piping (for Luftwaffe FlaK artillery), green piping (for the Felddivision troops), plus an additional set of slightly smaller late war collar tabs. Another plus is the inclusion of the dark blue version of the camouflage ranks worn on later paratroop smocks, which until now were only available through Verlinden in a brown version. Brown is fine for paratroopers in Greece and Mediterranean campaigns, but is totally wrong for the Western Front.

The Wehrmacht sheet (LW35035) offers regular infantry, but also the Gebirgsjäger (mountain troops) and Panzergrenadier motorized infantry markings in their correct colors. It may seem obvious to the layman, but throughout the years many producers only printed a somewhat “unitary” form of green-piped shoulder boards and collar Litzen (“braids,” those parallel bars in a dull white with piped color lining the middle of each stripe), sometimes in light green, sometimes in dark green. Yet the correct piping color was never fully achieved. Alliance Models have corrected this, including a very pale "pea" green for the mountain troops (Gebirgsjäger), and a full set in medium green for Panzergrenadiers. The sheet includes enough markings for slightly more than one-hundred figures. As with the Luftwaffe set, there are other colors included: yellow piping for Reconnaissance and Cavalry, red for Artillery and FlaK artillery units, and white for regular Infantry.

Both sets also include a full array of side-cap, officer's cap and appropriate helmet markings for their relative service positions. The rest is composed of cuff titles, special service sleeve markings, and various insignias. Cuff titles for the “Großdeutschland” regiment should be applied with care: unlike Waffen-SS cuffs, which were usually worn on the left lower sleeve, “GD” cuffs were worn on the right lower sleeve. There are also Edelweiss patches for mountain troops, Jäger patches, and Panzerjäger (tank hunter) patches (usually worn on the upper left sleeve).

Both sets also include photo-etched shoulder straps and medals (some of the most detailed ones I have seen in this scale). Among them you will find Iron Crosses, German Crosses, Belt Buckles, Campaign Badges, Assault Badges and more.

A slight word of warning: these decals are extremely delicate and should be treated with utmost care. The instruction sheet recommends to apply Creos Mr. Mark Setter to avoid unpleasant surprises. My guess is that any setting solution would be fine, as long as it is not too aggressive on the inks of the decals themselves. Micro-Set may also work in my humble opinion, but I have not used them yet, so my opinion is good as yours.

conclusion

I can only welcome this addition in 1/35 scale figure markings. I own every kind of dry transfer or wet decal markings the After Market has ever produced. The best in my view still remain those offered by Archer, Verlinden, and Tamiya (their latest addition item #12625 is gorgeous), and the photo-etched fret by Lion Roar that is meant just for the very expert modeler with a fine eye for painting techniques and detailing. Now we have Alliance Model Works. Highly-recommended for all, the expert as well as the newbie to modeling!

Click here for additional images for this review.

SUMMARY
Highs: Highly accurate, perfect color register, easy to identify, in perfect scale, details stand out.
Lows: Very delicate, should be handled with a lot of care and absolutely need a setting solution after application.
Verdict: Excellent choice for those who want the extra touch in uniform decals. Outstanding.
Percentage Rating
90%
  Scale: 1:35
  Mfg. ID: LW35035 - LW35036
  Suggested Retail: $14.95 each
  Related Link: Item Web Page
  PUBLISHED: Jan 12, 2010
  NATIONALITY: Germany
NETWORK-WIDE AVERAGE RATINGS
  THIS REVIEWER: 82.27%
  MAKER/PUBLISHER: 76.32%

About Patrick Selitrenny (jlpicard)
FROM: TICINO, SWITZERLAND

I am a stage actor / director / producer and now, also writer. I have been involved in this business for over thirty years now and my passion has remained firm as the day I started. I am also a history scholar and website designer. I have a very creative mind, with a vivid and broad imagination. ...

Copyright ©2021 text by Patrick Selitrenny [ JLPICARD ]. All rights reserved.



Comments

Wow Maki, excellent pose, excellent painting work. He really looks alive! I still can learn a thing or two, but alas I am reduced to 1/35 scale, since I have too little space and too many models... But really, I was very impressed with your figure... It's a show stopper. Best
JAN 24, 2010 - 08:43 PM
Hi Bill, I am back and kicking. Thank you for your kind words. I have just received Trumpeter's "3.7cm FLAK 37 auf Selbstfahrlafette (Sd.Kfz. 7/2 late version) with Sonderanhaenger 52" and "3.7cm FLAK 43 auf Selbstfahrlafette (Sd.Kfz. 7/2) with Sonderanhaenger 52", which I ordered some time ago. I already have the Tamiya model of the above and I am about to compare the two. I always thought that the Tamiya one was an adequate replica. Until now. Looking in Trumpeter's boxes I found what I was missing for so long. Except for the two gun barrels, which like in Tamiya's case are incorrect, and which I had the intention to replace anyway with aluminum ones (Aber, Model Point or ArmorScale) and the trailer, described as Sd.Anh.52, which is in reality a prototype and never saw an actual development during the war (meaning a chassis based on the Sd.Anh.51 coupled with what appears to be the caisson of the Sd.Anh.56). Except for those imperfections, the two models look gorgeous and come with a complete engine each, something that Tamiya completely omitted. I am as happy as a baby, but now I have to find a spot to insert them in... Major problem... Anyway, thanks again Best wishes.... and keep in touch...
JAN 24, 2010 - 09:02 PM
Patrick, why don't you do a "dueling build log" like I am doing with the Sd.Kfz.7/1?
JAN 25, 2010 - 02:32 AM
I have one question: Where can I find a picture of the Tamiya decal you mentioned? I went to their site and I could not find them. Thanks Mike
FEB 06, 2010 - 12:49 PM
Sorry, I have been absent from these pages for a while... To answer your question, I would suggest you stick with Archer. Archer decals are easy to apply and they have one advantage, they come (at least for the German side of things) in two variations (early war and late war). So, if you should decide for Heavy Armored troops fighting, say, from 1944 on, you would stand a better chance to find that Archer provides you with shoulder boards and collar patches for that appropriate period. But as with German tanks, even German figures sometimes pose a contradiction. For instance, at least in Normandy and even later in the Netherlands, you could see both kinds of uniforms being worn, depending on where the troops were stationed. Fortress troops for instance, would still wear, in many cases their originally issued uniforms, while field troops, or rushed in troops, reserves and so on, would wear the newer style (naturally downgraded and shabby, due to lack of raw materials at home). So, I think this is it. Although I may add that I usually prefer wet decals to dry transfers, but as of late, I have heard that Archer is preparing a totally new line of water slide decals (but I do not know when they will be issuing them). I hope I have been of some help and again, sorry for the heavy delay... Can I say I was stuck in traffic? Nahhh...
JUL 10, 2010 - 08:03 PM
I just read your suggestion about building a dueling blog. I am thinking about it, but will have to do a real hell of a job, if I want people to participate... It is scary... Do you think I am up to it? Cordially Patrick
JUL 10, 2010 - 08:10 PM
It's only necessary that you build the two kits. Definitely!
JUL 12, 2010 - 07:44 AM
Definitely![/quote] Thank you for the trust you have in me. I will study the kits I have in more detail, as well as all the various decal sheets I own and will get back to you as soon as possible with something for you to evaluate. If the job done will suit you, and you should deem the subject at hand interesting enough, I will then immediately proceed in setting up the back-to-back comparison forum or blog (as it may be) as you suggested. Give me some time (not too long I promise). Just a week or so. Is this OK with you? Be well and do good work Patrick
JUL 16, 2010 - 09:38 PM
Patrick, I am happy to have your enthusiasm for the project. Take as much time as you need.
JUL 17, 2010 - 09:54 AM
   
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